


the bird fell out and died

by sandyk



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Gen, Minor Michelle Jones/Peter Parker, Panic Attacks, Serial Killers, Swearing, True crime podcasting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:46:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23821780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandyk/pseuds/sandyk
Summary: Peter's parents were murdered, well, their murders were attributed to a serial killer who killed eleven couples over five years. Peter was only three and he's only ever told Ben that he remembers some of what happened that day. Not a lot of people ask. Parker is a really common last name.Now that's back in the news.
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 6
Kudos: 72
Collections: Trope Bingo: Round Fourteen





	the bird fell out and died

**Author's Note:**

> Not mine, no profit garnered. Title from Allison Moorer's believe you me. For the trope bingo square original characters. Clearly, two of the original characters are based on real people podcasters, but that's for A!!!! because she's amazing. :)
> 
> Peter has a panic attack towards the end.

Peter's parents were murdered, well, their murders were attributed to a serial killer who killed eleven couples over five years. Peter was only three and he's only ever told Ben that he remembers some of what happened that day. Not a lot of people ask. Parker is a really common last name. 

He assumes Mr. Stark knows because he can do some scary research easily. He also assumes MJ knows because she's so into true crime. Also, neither of them have ever said anything about it to him, because they're really good people. 

It's not really in the news because they caught a guy who confessed to two of the killings and it was kind of clear he'd done the other ones, too. And he died in prison in 2007, so whatever. 

Peter thinks it's a miracle that no one in the press noticed when Ben got murdered that he had been the first on the scene way back when. Like, wow, life is a real shitshow. Look what happened to this Queens family! So much murder. 

So it's a regular day in school, trying not to favor his right foot where he probably broke his big toe stopping a truck, but it's already healing. He'll be fine by the afternoon. Right as he's not limping towards lunch, MJ grabs his hand and drags him into a tiny lounge space. Her expression is ominous. Not ominous in a she's going to break up with him way, thank God. His hands feel cold, though.

She says, "So, um, I'm guessing no one told you yet. I didn't want you blindsided." She hands him her phone. It's open to an article, some true crime site. He glances at the header, the original article is from the Post. The news was from yesterday. Yesterday. He sighs. The story says that DNA testing shows the serial killer who died only killed seven of the couples. The other four were killed by someone else. Peter's parents were killed by someone else. 

He clenches his jaw and hands her back her phone. "Yup, no one told us."

She says, "I knew you were, anyways, glad I was right and didn't just show you awful news for no reason."

He thinks he smiles, but it probably looks fake. He says, "I assumed you knew."

"Yeah," MJ says. "But I'd never ask you about it. I'm gonna go to the cafeteria and you can, like, react with no one watching. See you later."

He leans in and kisses her cheek. She leaves and he sits on a crappy wooden chair and looks at the blank wall opposite. React, react, react, he thinks. He doesn't have anything. He takes out his phone and calls May. He says to her, "Can you come get me?" He texts her the link to the story. 

She says, "Those fuckers. Why didn't anyone tell us? Christ, I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

He goes to the office to wait and texts MJ and Ned. 

Peter's been home with May for two hours when the cops finally arrive. Peter doesn't put down his takeout pho as May opens the door. She says, "Wow, it's only been on the news for a day and now you come to talk to us. I assume you're here about Richard and Mary Parker."

They nod. They're perfectly nice cops but they're so fucking useless. Peter doesn't usually think cops are useless. He is slowly coming around to MJ's argument about prison abolition, but he's not sure about violent criminals, but he does think cops have a place. Except here, where they suck. 

After the cops leave and after Peter and May watch one comfort movie (Straight Talk, May loves Dolly Parton so much, but 9 to 5 kinda depresses her and even Aunt May can't stand Rhinestone) (Peter still laughs at the get off the cross, someone needs that wood! line) he goes to see Tony. 

Tony lets him into his place in Manhattan. He has what he calls a mini lab in the brownstone, it's better equipped than any of the labs at Midtown. Tony says, "What's up, Spiderpup?"

Peter smiles, that one's funny. He says, "You know what happened to my parents, right?"

Tony nods. "Are you here about the new news? I'm surprised you weren't here yesterday or the day before."

"Ha, those assholes at NYPD didn't even tell me and May until three hours ago," Peter says. 

"Harsh language for you," Tony says. "But sounds justified. I take it you want me to do some research."

"Please?" Peter jams his hands into the pockets of his coat. "I don't know what you have access to, but I assume."

"Yeah, of course," Tony says. He turns around and sits down, starts typing. Tony says, "What do you remember?"

It's like MJ leaving him alone, Tony is letting Peter react however and not loom over him or look him in the eye. Peter says, "I was there. They took it out of the police report, lied to the press so if someone confessed, they'd know if it was false. But I was there. Like the other ones, I was locked in the bathroom." Six of the couples that were murdered had kids under the age of four. In every case, the kid was locked in a bathroom. 

"It was the one attached to my parent's bedroom so after a few hours, I managed to get their bedroom door open. I don't, the next thing I remember is sitting in the living room and seeing them. Then, I could tell they were dead, or not right. I got the phone and called Ben, that was the only phone number I knew. I don't remember when he arrived or much after that. I mean, I was three."

"Sounds horrible," Tony says. "Seven of the couples have the same killer's DNA, our dead friend. The other four, including the Parkers, have the same foreign DNA from a killer, but it's not the same as the other seven. Dead guy did couple one, three through seven, and eleven. Your guy did two, eight, nine, and ten."

"My parents were number eight," Peter says. His tone is, he thinks, deadpan. It's dead something. He really never has looked into any of this. 

"Absolutely horrible," Tony says. "That's a lot of awful shit in your life."

"Your parents were murdered," Peter says. "You've got awful shit, too."

"Yes, I'd definitely win the competition, I think, but hey, you're young, the future is waiting to crap on you." Tony is probably smiling. 

"Thanks for that," Peter says. 

Three days later, he's on his bed with MJ, both fully dressed. They've been going out for a few months, they don't do more than kiss and grope. Though in Peter's head, he's pretty much pictured them going all the way a lot. He curls up around MJ's middle. She says, "Hey. Um. You don't have to." She sighs. "I guess I wanted to say there's this true crime podcast I listen to and they just did your parents' case, with the update." She exhales. She says, "If you wanted to listen to it. It's very respectful."

Peter shrugs. "I've never really looked up any of the facts, so." He considers. "If you think it won't be awful."

"Not awful," MJ says. She hands him her earbuds and waits for him to put them in. "Tell me when to stop."

It's not awful. The hosts are even funny. One says, "Here's the super creepy signature way both of these guys did it. And they basically did it exactly the same. Which is hard to coordinate."

The other one makes a joke and Peter even smiles. One says, "So there was no sexual assault, nothing like that even close. If there were kids there, they were locked in the bathroom. Then they would, well, basically stab both in the stomach and then hang around while they bled to death. Just fucking awful." Peter knows that part. If he pushes, he can even remember it. He never pushes. 

They even mention him, sort of obliquely. "And don't be one of those assholes who's posting on reddit or on facebook the names of these kids."

The other one agrees. "They are little sweet babies who deserve to have their damn lives."

He tells MJ he's done. She turns it off. He says, "Thanks, it wasn't awful."

"I didn't want you to think, you know, when I listen to this stuff, I'm not being an asshole." MJ pats his hair. "I'm being selfish," she sings a little.

"It's okay," he says. "You can ask me anything, you know."

She sighs again. "I just, um, I hope you have happy memories of your parents."

"I don't," he says. "My first real memory, the first thing I remember is probably when they died. But Ben talked about them all the time, May, too."

"Okay," she says. "You can tell me whatever you want. Just, like, so you know. I would only tell Ned so we could compare notes about which of us you like best."

Peter laughs just like she wants. "Okay, in that case. I got it."

Tony summons him to his place a few nights later. Peter didn't patrol that night so he just took a cab, since Tony always paid for those.

He has a pretty good idea of what Tony wants to show him. He tries vaguely to brace himself. 

Tony says, "Okay, Spiderbaby. FRIDAY finally found the DNA match." A mugshot pops up. 

Peter can almost hear his stomach drop and his hands shake. He can't really breathe. He tries. He's suddenly scared, so scared he almost can't keep standing. 

The picture is gone and Tony is right in front of him. "Peter," he says. "Peter." He hugs Peter which is nice. They don't do that very often. 

He's definitely having a panic attack. He's never had one of those. He can't even open his mouth to say something, cause he has to pee and throw up. 

Tony figures it out, or recognizes the signs, because he turns Peter around and pushes him towards the bathroom. 

Peter closes the door and manages to get the toilet seat up before he vomits. He flushes and then pees and then flushes again. He splashes his face with water and swirls some water around his mouth. Then he hears Tony on the other side of the door. "If you want, you can stay here tonight. Text your Aunt, but you're got a room here. You always do."

"Okay, okay," Peter says. "Thanks."

He gets another hug from Tony before he crawls into the very nice bed in the guest room. He's pretty sure Tony and Pepper set aside this room just for him. There's a whole set of Star Wars Funko Pops from the latest movie. Even the bad guys. If they'd asked, Peter would have said he never likes all the bad guys. He's not a completist like that. Tony sits on the edge of the bed. He says, "FRIDAY is placing an anonymous call. The guy's already in jail. He was caught for, you know what, doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. But we'll take care of it. Just go to sleep."

"Thanks," Peter says again.

This time the cops manage to tell them before it makes the news. May smiles a lot and thanks them for their work. After they leave, she says, "Even though Tony Stark did all the work."

"More like FRIDAY," Peter says. 

They sit close together on the couch, the TV paused and silent. May says, "Ben would be happy."

"I guess," Peter says. "Do you think so?"

May shrugs. "He used to say, he would say life is a random clusterfuck. Horrible things happen to us and it's not a lesson, it's not something for us to grow, it's just the worst."

Peter laughs. "He never said that to me."

"Well," May says. "He didn't want you to be, he loved you and your optimism. Your innate hope."

Peter rakes his hand through his hair. "But he didn't believe in it."

"No, he did," May says. "He believed in you."

May hugs him close and then reaches for the remote to un-pause the show.


End file.
